Quiet Time

The Friday before Christmas I did something I have never done before but have intended to do for some time now.

For about the past 2-3 years I have intended to spend a day with God-just a day to be quite before Him. However, life always seemed to get in the way so I would always push the date out.

After some challenges from a couple of friends of mine, I finally did it. I went to my sister's cottage and spent the day with God. It was incredible!

I truly felt his presence and had some great conversations with Him. He gave me some clarity about some decisions I need to make and really gave me a peace about some things.

I have to admit this was a very difficult thing for me to do. Spending the day being quiet before God was not tough, but clearing my calendar for a day was brutal. But it was worth it!

I have made a commitment to do this regularly and have scheduled my next two spiritual retreats over the next six months. As my friends did to me, I challenge you to do this sometime this next month. You'll be glad you did!

"Be still, and know that I am God."

Psalm 46:10a

Appreciation

Have you ever had anyone thank you for touching their life? I mean a truly heartfelt thanks? If so, you know how good that can make you feel.

Do you know what I think feels even better than that? Telling someone how much you appreciate them.

I challenge you to write a note, send an email or call someone and tell them how they have impacted your life. This will not only make their day, but you might be surprised how this picks you up.

Watch this 3 minute video. I promise you it will inspire you.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Lead By Example

Does this cartoon ring true of your work environment? Does it ring true of you?

I have experienced some of this during my career and I have to tell you, it drives me crazy!

This type of attitude is contagious. It can infect an entire organization.

If you work at a place like this, you can make a difference. Even if you are not in a position of leadership by title, you are still a leader. With persistence and perseverance, if you continually do what you say you are going to do, others will start to take notice. Colossians 3:23 tells us, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men." One way to live this verse out is to fulfill your commitments.

If you are the leader of an organization and this is taking place, it is probably because you do this yourself. Remember, people will do what you do rather than what you say. Lead by example!

Giving of Yourself

Many gifts were given and many received in our household this Christmas. However, one gift stood out to me this year.

My son Robbie (11), was contemplating what to get for his parents and his two sisters. He only had $25 which he had saved from his allowance money. This past weekend, he went upstairs and made cards for each of us on the computer. Then he came down and put envelopes with each of our names under our tree.

When it came time to open gifts, he proudly presented each of us with our envelope. Inside was a very thoughtful card along with some money. He gave me $5 and each of his sisters $5 and his mom $10. He had given everything he had to us.

That is the true spirit of Christmas. My son gets it. He put all selfishness aside and gave of himself fully this Christmas. How cool is that!

Merry Christmas

I won't be posting for a few days so I wanted to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!

Dilbert Leadership

An article in today's Toledo Blade talked about a worker who had posted a "Dilbert" cartoon on the company's bulletin board. Apparently, the management team did not think it was very funny as they felt the worker was poking fun at them so they sued him. However, the judge found in favor of the worker.

I can see management's point. I agree that employees need to show respect and submit to the authority of their supervisor.

However, I believe that management (the leadership) needs to lead in such so as to not provide employees an opportunity to find a cartoon that shows their leadership style. Management needs to earn the respect of their employees.

In the case pointed out in this article, my bet is that the cartoon was probably a pretty close depiction of how these employees were being led. Rather than sue an employee for posting a cartoon, the management team should have looked inwardly and used this as a wake-up call to see how they were leading and what they needed to change.

Rock Solid Leadership

I believe that leadership is a spiritual gift from God. Some receive it and others receive other gifts. However, I also believe that each of us is a leader. Each of us is influencing someone, someplace. By definition that makes us a leader.

I encourage you to watch this 3 minute video which summarizes this very well - click here.

More Political Correctness

Did you happen to see this? This appeared in the Christian Post:

Barbara Walters recently criticized a Christmas card she received from the White House this year for featuring a seven-line scripture from the Bible.

The card, signed by the President and Mrs. Bush, was among a small stack of Christmas cards showcased by Walters on last Thursday’s episode of ABC’s “The View.”

“Usually in the past when I have received a Christmas card, it's been 'Happy Holidays' and so on,” said Walters.

But the veteran anchor expressed dismay that President Bush and the First Lady would send out a “religious Christmas card” with a direct Bible verse from the Old Testament printed inside:

“You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.”

After reading the scriptural message of the card, Walters asked in a critical tone, "Does this also go to agnostics, and atheists, and Muslims?"

"Don't you think it's a little interesting,” continued Walters in her questioning, “that the president of all the people is sending out a religious Christmas card?"

The card, which was paid for by the Republican National Committee, closes: “May the joy of all creation fill your heart this blessed season 2007."

This sort of thing is ridiculous.

I acknowledge President and Mrs. Bush for sticking to their Christian values and not wavering despite the heat they receive. As leaders we all must do that despite the cost.

Lead By Example

I don't hide the fact that I am a huge Ohio State fan. That's why I was thrilled to read this excerpt in a magazine about the Buckeye's head football coach, Jim Tressel:

Ohio State Linebackers coach Luke Fickell arrived at the Woody Hayes Athletics Center a few seconds after his boss one morning earlier this year. Then he watched Tressel, walking in the front door in front of him, picking up trash on his way to the door.

"And I'm looking around like I'd better find something to pick up, too," Fickell said. "If he is picking up trash, I mean, what kind of example is that? Just little things like that every day lets you know it's about people, it's about doing the right thing, it's about being a good person."

Cool stuff. Something we can all learn from!

Quotes

I think we can learn in a lot of different ways. One of my favorite ways to learn is to listen to or read something written by others, especially those who are in the game, doing the right things. I also love to read quotes--little nuggets that can help change your life.

I stumbled on this neat video which shares some great quotes from famous leaders. I hope it inspires you! Click here.

The Scandal of Christmas

If you have read the Christmas story from the gospels of Matthew and Luke, you know that it was scandalous. A young unmarried woman was pregnant. Her fiance knew he was not the father. Should he stay with her or leave her?

And then, a King was born.

I just read of a movement that is catching on throughout the world that is encouraging Christians and their churches to restore the “scandal” of Christmas by observing the holiday more authentically.

They suggest buying simpler, more personal gifts that foster relationships rather than fuel the materialistic machine that Christmas has become. A great idea.

Click here to read the article.

True Friendship

Check this out--friendship in any language...

Wouldn't you like a friend like that? I challenge you to be that friend to someone - after all the best way to get a friend like that is to be one yourself!

If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Ecclesiastes 4:10

Political Correctness - No Thanks!

What do you think of when you think of someone from an organization called the Equality and Human Rights Commission? I have to admit my first thought is of someone who is all about "political correctness" which makes my skin crawl.

That's why I was pleasantly surprised to read this in a recent Reuters article in London:

It's time to stop being daft about Christmas. It's fine to celebrate and it's fine for Christ to be star of the show," said Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

"Let's stop being silly about a Christian Christmas," he said, referring to a tendency to play down the traditional celebrations of the birth of Christ for fear of offending minorities in multicultural Britain.

Way to go Trevor! I could not agree more!

Responding

I am a big believer that all circumstances work out for good, even if we can't see it at the time. In fact one of my favorite bible verses tells us this is true if we "...love God and are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) In other words, God never wastes a hurt.

Zig Ziglar wrote something along these lines that was too good not to share:

When you respond to life, that's positive; when you react to life, that's negative. Example: you get sick and go to the doctor. Chances are good that after an examination he or she would give you a prescription with instructions to return in several days. When you walk back in if the doctor starts shaking his head and says, "It looks like your body is reacting to the medicine, we're going to have to change it," you probably would get a little nervous. However, if the doctor smiled and said, "You're looking great! Your body is responding to the medication," you would get excited and feel much better. Yes, responding to life is good. Reacting to the incidents of life is negative - and that's bad. The next example validates that fact.

Today there's much turmoil in the job market and many people are losing their jobs through downsizing, mergers and takeovers. This creates some unusual "opportunities" for many people. One positive from this is that in the last five years, according to the Wall Street Journal, over fifteen million new businesses have been created, well over half of them by women. Interestingly, very few of these women had any marketable skills and all of them had great financial need. Most of the new businesses were "trust" businesses, meaning that the women collected the money before they delivered the goods or services. The Journal comments that virtually none of these women have been prosecuted and jailed for failure to deliver on that trust. That's exciting!

Many of these new businesses - possibly most of them - would never have been started had not an unfortunate event occurred in these people's lives. When those events did occur and needs became obvious, these women chose to respond and there's little doubt that many of them are better off now than they were before the "tragedy" took place.

The message is clear: If you will respond to life instead of react to it, then I've got a much better chance of seeing you AT THE TOP!

You've Got To Be Kidding Me

Did you see this? This appeared in the Spokane, Washington newspaper:

Crosses to be removed from police chaplain badges

By Karen Dorn Steele
Staff writer
December 5, 2007

Crosses will be removed from badges worn by Spokane Police chaplains under terms of an out-of-court settlement between the city and a former Lutheran pastor-turned-atheist who sued over the government agency’s use of the insignias and Christian prayers.
Additionally, lawyers from the Center for Justice who represented former pastor Ray Ideus will get $1,000.

“It’s a milestone,” said Ideus, who volunteers eight hours a week with the police department. “It’s very important that they’ll have to take that cross off. It’s not a Christian police department. The chaplains have to minister to all faiths – and non-faiths,” Ideus said.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

Absolutely ridiculous. Wasn't our country founded on Christian principles? Wasn't Christianity one of the main driving forces behind the founding fathers risking all to start this country?

We must "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." (Ephesians 6:14-17)

Life is a Mist

This has been a sad week. Two days ago I learned about a guy who was the friend of my next door neighbor who was in his 30s and passed away. Yesterday morning, I learned about a friend of mine who had a baby boy who died two days later. Yesterday early evening, I received a call from a friend and neighbor telling me that his wife had just passed away.

The thing that was in common with all of these was how quickly they all happened. My neighbor's friend died after a few days in the hospital-prior to that he appeared fine. My friend's son died after living only two days. My friend's wife had been diagnosed with cancer only three weeks ago.

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:14

How true.

It is a shame that it takes tragedy in our lives and in the lives of those we know to make us realize what James is telling us.

Our life is but a mist. We must take advantage of this day God has given us. We must lead like crazy. We must love like crazy.

Carpe Diem!

Smile

Is this picture awesome or what!

It reminded me of two things. One, of how much God loves us.

And two, of something we can do each day to make us more effective leaders. It is something I have never seen written in a leadership book. It is something that is not taught in any leadership classes. Yet it can be very powerful.

The thing we can do to help us be more effective leaders is simply to smile. Try it. You'll find that it will help you to be a more positive leader and it will help others want to follow you more.

Choices

As many of you know Zig Ziglar is a favorite author and speaker of mine. He has a way of saying things that make the complex understandable including this regarding the choices we all have in our lives:

Our success in life is determined by the choices we make. You are going to be making choices that will determine your success as you learn to manage yourself and others. To be effective in making proper choices, you must understand the difference between reacting and responding.

Let’s say you go to the doctor, who then gives you a prescription and tells you to come back the next day. When you go back, if he looks worried and tells you he needs to change the prescription because your body is reacting to the medicine, you’re probably going to be concerned. On the other hand, if he tells you your body is responding to the medicine, you’re going to smile because you know you’re on your way to recovery. So, to react is negative and to respond is positive – the choice is yours! It’s a fact that you can’t tailor-make the situations in life, but you can tailor-make the attitudes to fit those situations before they arise.

There are some things that are simply not going to change. If you were born white, you’re going to stay white. If you were born black, you’re going to stay black. I don’t care how much thought you give it, you’re not going to add a single cubit to your height. You’re not going to change when you were born, where you were born, how you were born, or to whom you were born. However, you can choose how you will respond to all of life’s circumstances. All of life is a series of choices. Realize that every choice we make, whether it is good or bad, has consequences! You can choose to get drunk tonight, but when you do, you have chosen to feel miserable tomorrow. You can choose to eat properly today, and when you do, you have chosen to be healthier. All the circumstances in your life will not be positive. You must choose to respond to both the positive and the negative.

As a leader in your organization others can tell a lot about you by how you respond, or react, to the little nuisances that crop up in your day as well as the big obstacles that come along. Lead in such a way that causes others to make wise choices and benefit from those choices.

Pride Before The Fall

On Saturday I was a very interested observer of some of the college football games. Even though my team, the Ohio State Buckeyes weren't playing, their fate lied int he balance. If Missouri lost to Oklahoma or if West Virginia lost to Pittsburgh, then the Buckeyes would play for the BCS National Title.

As I watched ESPN's College Gameday that morning, the announcers all said the same thing regarding the chances of West Virginia losing. They all said it was impossible. They were debating how big they would win--by 5 or 6 touchdowns.

Kirk Herbstreit even went on to say something like this, "Congratulations West Virginia, you are headed to New Orleans to play for the National Championship!"

Later that evening, West Virginia (and Missouri) found themselves on the short end of the score.

While I was thrilled with the outcomes of these games, I was reminded of the times when my pride has preceded a fall for me. Pretty painful stuff. But a good reminder to us all.

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

Leadership Video

Here is a short video I stumbled upon that discusses leadership: click here to view. I hope you enjoy!

Asking For Conflict

I read an article recently about a business owner named Sean Perich who started a business (Bakery Barn) five years ago that is now booming. The same management team has been in place over that time span, but he is now discovering that may be a problem.

"At a certain point, guts and hard work stop paying dividends," Perich admits. He says he now finds himself suffering from "good idea-itis"—a problem when none of his managers or directors were willing to curb his enthusiasm. "If I say, 'Let's spend time developing protein drinks,' they say, 'Great'—they won't question me," Perich says. He worries that time spent developing products like protein drinks and savory snacks has been a distraction—that perhaps Bakery Barn has strayed too far from what it does best: baking protein cookies.

What he is asking for is conflict. Not a fight, but someone to stand up to him, to challenge him, to hold him accountable and to help him be better. It takes someone who is pretty secure to admit this. He is a wise leader who knows his limitations and is looking for others to complete him, to make him better. (Go here to read the entire story).

When I evaluate myself, I feel I do OK at this in some areas of my life, but in other areas I don't do so hot--like at home. How are you at this?

Where Are You?

Yesterday afternoon I was traveling to Gatlinburg, Tennessee to lead a leadership workshop. I usually fly out of Detroit but the flight was almost $300 less expensive if I flew out of Toledo and connected in Detroit (This has happened many times and I still don’t understand it—I’m using more of the airline’s service, yet it costs less!).

Anyway, as we approached the gate in Detroit, we sat on the tarmac for awhile. Finally, the captain announced the reason for our delay. Apparently Detroit’s airport had many people not show up for work on Monday. This meant they only had 4 employees to manage 38 passenger ramps. He went on to tell us this is a regular occurrence the day after a holiday weekend.

How sad.

Two things struck me as sad. One, that the captain would share that with his customers. It seemed like he was “passing the buck.” Even though that was the truth, customers don’t want to hear this finger pointing. This is poor customer service.

Second, it is a shame what is happening in this country. Overall, work is not valued like it once was. As a result, many people don’t treat it as a serious commitment. In this case it caused hundreds, if not thousands of people to miss connecting flights or to be inconvenienced.

Work is a privilege. We were made by God to work (Genesis 2:15). So let’s do our best to enjoy it and live up to our responsibilities.

In case you were wondering…I did make my connection, but only because it too was delayed—one of the few times I was happy with a delay!

When No One is Looking...

Steve Marr writes the following about integrity when no one is looking:

Some businesspeople practice integrity when compelled or when customers are watching. Others practice integrity when they believe no one is watching.

I had a neighbor who would walk his dog. He carried a small plastic bag to scoop up the droppings, as required by the homeowner's association. One day I was reading and glanced out the window to see the dog leaving a deposit. My neighbor looked around to see if anyone was watching, then left the poop there and walked away. At that moment, I came to understand that my neighbor lacked integrity.

In business, we can also lose our integrity, and often with drastic results.

John Dodge, a founder of Dodge Motor Company, put it clearly, "There is no twilight zone in business, a thing is right or it's wrong — it's black or it's white." The choice we have is to accept and act on this truth ... or not. King Solomon wrote, "He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out" (Proverbs 10:9 NASB).

We may not always see the result of our integrity, but consequences will follow. An auto dealer was doing warranty repairs and was receiving replacement parts from the manufacturer. In some instances, the broken part was repaired instead of replaced and the new part was then sold to other customers, thus generating more profit for the auto dealership. This practice went on for years, but was eventually uncovered. The result: the owner was convicted of fraud, the manufacturer revoked the franchise, and the owner was forced into bankruptcy.

The prophet Nahum wrote, "The Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished" (Nahum 1:3 NASN). If we accept this truth from Scripture, then we must obediently apply integrity in everything we do.

Walter was a contractor doing a small addition for a young couple, Ellen and Mike. He realized he made a mistake on the bid and left out a $2,500 item, costing him the profit on the job. Walter honored his price and explained to the couple he had made a mistake, but that he did not expect them to pay for it. He was not aware that Mike's dad was a major real-estate developer. After Mike's dad learned of the experience, he contacted the builder and gave him several large construction jobs, based on the integrity experienced by his son. This verifies the truth, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful in much, and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing in unrighteous also in much" (Luke 16:10 NASB).

Go here to read the rest.

Happy Thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I am very thankful for each and every one of you. I hope you enjoy your day!

Jim

Power Rangers

An article I just read in Promo Magazine discussed the ongoing popularity of the Power Rangers, who turn 15 this year.

The reason for their longevity?

"The brand has reached pop culture status by maintaining its core values of honesty, loyalty, teamwork and standing up for what's right," says Brenda Lynch, senior vice president, The Rogers Group, Bandai America's PR Agency. "These core values resonate as strongly as they did 15 years ago."

In this day of Hollywood and sports stars being glorified for their lack of values, it sure is refreshing to see this.

We Can All Make A Difference

We are all leaders...every one of us. We all influence someone. It doesn't matter if your title is not that of a leader, you can lead and you can make a difference. This short video is a great example of that. I hope it inspires you like it inspired me. Take the next 3 minutes to watch--I promise you, you will be glad you did! Click here for the video.

The Little Things

Yesterday afternoon my son, Robbie and I raked leaves. We are fortunate where we live as we are able to burn leaves which makes it kind of fun (my son and I have a pyro streak in us!).

Anyway, the leaves were a little damp from the previous day's rain so they didn't burn real well; however, they did burn well enough to get rid of them. About two hours after starting the fire it was just smoking and I figured it would eventually burn out.

This morning as I left for work, I noticed a flame in the pile of leaves. I was amazed. 14 hours after starting the fire it was still burning. There must have been a couple of embers that kept up the good fight and this morning they caused an actual flame to appear.

This was an encouragement to me. Sometimes I feel like the small things I do day in and day out don't really matter. But this fire reminded me that even the seemingly inconsequential things can develop into something important if I just stick with it.

Leading By Example

I just read an article about Steve Nash, the flashy Canadian point guard of the Phoenix Suns. His coach, Mike D’Antoni said something about him that was pretty cool.

“When your superstar’s your hardest working guy—by far—well, then you’ve got a chance to do something special.”

Leading by example…what a novel concept.

Serving Him Where We Are

I just read an email devotional this morning that was very good. It talked about the fact that we do not have to leave our jobs to serve God. So many of us feel that in order to truly serve God we must become a pastor or a missionary.

God has designed us each with unique gifts. He wants us to use these gifts where we are today to serve Him regardless of what it is we do for a living. So how can we do that?

I have developed a program to help people with this very topic. If you would like to learn more and find out about a cool free trial opportunity (including a free copy of my book), go to http://www.bleedership.com/.

Make it a great day!

The Great Communicator

Ronald Reagan was known as the "Great Communicator." He had a way with words.

I just received an email I felt I should share. One, because we just paused to celebrate Veterans' Day in this country, to remember those who have sacrificed so much for us. Two, because there are some great nuggets of truth that we all can learn from in these words from this great leader, Ronald Reagan after he laid a wreath at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery on November 11, 1985:

We are gathered at the National Cemetery, which provides a final resting place for the heroes who have defended our country since the Civil War. This amphitheater, this place for speeches, is more central to this cemetery than it first might seem apparent, for all we can ever do for our heroes is remember them and remember what they did -- and memories are transmitted through words. Sometime back I received in the name of our country the bodies of four marines who had died while on active duty. I said then that there is a special sadness that accompanies the death of a serviceman, for we're never quite good enough to them -- not really; we can't be, because what they gave us is beyond our powers to repay. And so, when a serviceman dies, it's a tear in the fabric, a break in the whole, and all we can do is remember.

It is, in a way, an odd thing to honor those who died in defense of our country, in defense of us, in wars far away. The imagination plays a trick. We see these soldiers in our mind as old and wise. We see them as something like the Founding Fathers, grave and gray haired. But most of them were boys when they died, and they gave up two lives -- the one they were living and the one they would have lived. When they died, they gave up their chance to be husbands and fathers and grandfathers. They gave up their chance to be revered old men. They gave up everything for our country, for us. And all we can do is remember.

There's always someone who is remembering for us. No matter what time of year it is or what time of day, there are always people who come to this cemetery, leave a flag or a flower or a little rock on a headstone. And they stop and bow their heads and communicate what they wished to communicate. They say, ``Hello, Johnny,'' or ``Hello, Bob. We still think of you. You're still with us. We never got over you, and we pray for you still, and we'll see you again. We'll all meet again.'' In a way, they represent us, these relatives and friends, and they speak for us as they walk among the headstones and remember. It's not so hard to summon memory, but it's hard to recapture meaning.

And the living have a responsibility to remember the conditions that led to the wars in which our heroes died. Perhaps we can start by remembering this: that all of those who died for us and our country were, in one way or another, victims of a peace process that failed; victims of a decision to forget certain things; to forget, for instance, that the surest way to keep a peace going is to stay strong. Weakness, after all, is a temptation -- it tempts the pugnacious to assert themselves -- but strength is a declaration that cannot be misunderstood. Strength is a condition that declares actions have consequences. Strength is a prudent warning to the belligerent that aggression need not go unanswered.

Peace fails when we forget what we stand for. It fails when we forget that our Republic is based on firm principles, principles that have real meaning, that with them, we are the last, best hope of man on Earth; without them, we're little more than the crust of a continent. Peace also fails when we forget to bring to the bargaining table God's first intellectual gift to man: common sense. Common sense gives us a realistic knowledge of human beings and how they think, how they live in the world, what motivates them. Common sense tells us that man has magic in him, but also clay. Common sense can tell the difference between right and wrong. Common sense forgives error, but it always recognizes it to be error first.

We endanger the peace and confuse all issues when we obscure the truth; when we refuse to name an act for what it is; when we refuse to see the obvious and seek safety in the Almighty. Peace is only maintained and won by those who have clear eyes and brave minds. Peace is imperiled when we forget to try for agreements and settlements and treaties; when we forget to hold out our hands and strive; when we forget that God gave us talents to use in securing the ends He desires. Peace fails when we forget that agreements, once made, cannot be broken without a price.

Each new day carries within it the potential for breakthroughs, for progress. Each new day bursts with possibilities. And so, hope is realistic and despair a pointless little sin. And peace fails when we forget to pray to the source of all peace and life and happiness. I think sometimes of General Matthew Ridgeway, who, the night before D-day, tossed sleepless on his cot and talked to the Lord and listened for the promise that God made to Joshua: ``I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.''

We're surrounded today by the dead of our wars. We owe them a debt we can never repay. All we can do is remember them and what they did and why they had to be brave for us. All we can do is try to see that other young men never have to join them. Today, as never before, we must pledge to remember the things that will continue the peace. Today, as never before, we must pray for God's help in broadening and deepening the peace we enjoy. Let us pray for freedom and justice and a more stable world. And let us make a compact today with the dead, a promise in the words for which General Ridgeway listened, ``I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.''

In memory of those who gave the last full measure of devotion, may our efforts to achieve lasting peace gain strength. And through whatever coincidence or accident of timing, I tell you that a week from now when I am some thousands of miles away, believe me, the memory and the importance of this day will be in the forefront of my mind and in my heart.

Thank you. God bless you all, and God bless America.

Nehemiah

Did you happen to see this? Archaeologists have discovered remnants of the wall that Nehemiah helped to build around Jerusalem. Cool stuff!

I encourage you to study the story of Nehemiah in the Bible. A lot can be learned from him in regard to leadership, including compassion, vision, respect of authority, humility, leaning on God, persistence and calmness under pressure to name a few.

Click here to read more.

Leading Through Failure

As many of you know I am an Ohio State football fan. I was in Columbus on Saturday when the Buckeyes were beaten by Illinois. Ohio State truly was beaten. Sure there were some mistakes by the Buckeyes and the officials, but make no mistake about it-Illinois deserved to win.

As hard as it was to take the loss for me, I know it is 100 times tougher for the players. Kirk Barton who is a senior captain had this to say:

"You just feel like a failure as a captain when you lose a game like this," said Barton, the only fifth-year senior on the team, and a co-captain. "You hope you can lead your guys out of the murky waters we were in. I take a lot of responsibility for that.

"You feel like a failure if you can't get a win on Senior Day. It takes a little bit away from your captaincy if you can't lead your team the way you need to. ... I hope you print this because I want all the young guys to remember how it feels for my Senior Day."

That is so refreshing to hear. No finger pointing, no excuses. Simply taking responsibility. Now that's leadership.

Wow You're Tall!

George Bell

I get that a lot—“Wow, you're tall!" Those of you who know me know that I am 6' 8" tall (or 5' 20" as I tell people). As a result, when I enter a public place like a restaurant, I see people whisper and then heads turn to look at me.

I suppose that might make some people self-conscious, but I like it. It is a great conversation starter.

I just read about the tallest person in the US, named George Bell. He has a great attitude about this. He is 7' 8" tall (a full foot taller than me!). Of how he feels about being tall, George said, "I have no choice but to like it."

He went on to give credit to his late great-aunt, Etonia Johnson, with his positive attitude: "She always told me, 'Don't feel ashamed of yourself. Stand tall. God made you. Be happy and show your pride.' "

What great words of advice for all of us, especially those who feel they are "less than" or don't measure up.

To read more about George, go here.

Comparing to Others

I wrote in one of my last newsletters about feeling like I did not belong on my college basketball team. We had some great players on our team and I sometimes felt like I didn't measure up. I went on to write that we all have gifts and we are to use them to serve God. We are not to compare ourselves to others (which I was doing).

Well, I am in beautiful Marco Island, Florida this morning and I am preparing to speak at a prayer breakfast for a hardware convention. At dinner last night the organizer mentioned to me that past speakers at this event have included Zig Ziglar and Dr. Norman Vincent Peale.

I had those feelings all over again...those feelings of "So why am I speaking here? I can't measure up to these giants."

As I prepare for this morning I am taking my own advice. I am going to do the best I can and do it for God.

Those Who Irritate You

We all have at least one person in our lives who irritates us...and they usually sit near us at work.

RedLetterBelievers had a great post yesterday about how these people can actually be placed in our lives to help us to grow--to help us develop into the person God wants us to become.

Check it out here.

Your Company's Business Plan

In 1923, Time Magazine warned of "the possible advent of a New Ice Age."

In 1939, Time warned of "Global Warming."

In 1974, Time warned of "another Ice Age coming."

In 2006, Time declared "The debate is over. Global Warming is upon us."

Sometimes it is hard to know what is truth and what is made up to sell magazines and papers. The same is true for all the different management techniques that are touted as the next great thing.

There is only one way to know if any new method is right or not and that is to stand it up to the Bible--even if this deals with work. If it aligns with Scripture, then you can know this is good and it is Truth. If not, you know you can discard it.

Lion's Roar

No one could have predicted the turnaround the Detroit Lions have made this season. The season is only halfway done and they still have a long way to go, but anyone looking at this team knows there is something different going on.

In the Fellowship of Christian Athlete's monthly magazine Share the Victory, they reveal some of what is happening. One of the primary changes was that the team acquired quarterback Jon Kitna from the Cincinnati Bengals. Jon is known as a great Christian leader.

These are the words of team chaplain, Dave Wilson:

“When Jon came in, the entire locker room started to tilt toward his locker—his and Josh McCown’s,” said Wilson. “The thing that led people to want to hang out with him was joy. He was laughing all the time. He and McCown were playing games. There was just this joy factor that I don’t think most people see in Christians. I would walk in the locker room and everybody would be over by Jon. Even the loudest guys in the locker room were hanging out with Kitna. And I was like, ‘You know why they’re over there? Because they are attracted to joy.’”

It wasn’t long before that joy turned into camaraderie, which turned into team unity, which turned into a spiritual momentum that no one could have predicted.

We don't need to be on a football team to have the same impact on others. Let's live with a joy that is contagious--it can really make a difference!

Loving Those Who Make You Mad

If you are like me, there are people you work with you make you mad. You know, the ones who know just the right things to say or do (or not do) to set you off.

So how are we supposed to act toward these people? Can we do anything to change them?

The Bible tells us we are to love our enemies. But how can this help?

David Jeremiah shares this story which sheds some light on this:

In the mid 1930s, a German Protestant pastor was abducted from his church. Suspected of aiding and abetting Jews, he was thrown into prison without a hearing, a trial, or even a phone call to his family. The prison guard outside his cell hated everyone associated with Jews and purposefully skipped the pastor's cell when meals were handed out, made him go weeks without a shower, and gave him the most difficult job on the labor gang. The pastor, on the other hand, prayed that he would be able to love this guard with God's love. As the months went by, the pastor smiled at the guard, thanked him for the few meals he did receive, and even got to talk about Agape love. The guard never said anything; but he heard it all, and one night he cracked a smile. The next day the pastor received two meals and was able to shower for as long as he wanted. Finally, one afternoon the guard personally made the long-awaited call to the pastor's family, and a few months later, he was released.

It is against our human nature to love someone like that prison guard; but through His power, God can give us the ability to love the unlovables.

Treating them poorly because they are treating us poorly is what our human nature tells us to do. However, this will not help to change them. Only by showing them Christ's love can they be changed.

Seek First to Understand

Stephen Covey, in his best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People mentions seeking first to understand before trying to be understood as one of those 7 habits. This is very good advice. How many people do you know who are truly great listeners?

I'll bet those who you think are great listeners are held in high esteem by you. Wouldn't you like someone to be able to say that you are a great listener?

It truly is easier to be understood after you listen to the other person first. Have you tried it lately?

I challenge you to try it today. In fact you will probably find your frustration level dropping as being misunderstood can be frustrating. And, as leaders, we need to step up to improve communication all around us because it is so important.

This is much needed as it is so easy to be misunderstood as these church bulletin announcements prove:

• Ushers will eat latecomers.
• She sang "I Will Not Pass This Way Again," giving much pleasure to the congregation.
• Sermon this morning: Jesus Walks on the Water. Sermon tonight: Searching for Jesus.
• The patient is having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack's sermons.
• Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say "hell " to someone who doesn't care much about you.
• A letter to the men’s fellowship reads: "All members are requested to bring their wives and one other covered dish to the annual banquet."
• The Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
• Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.
• The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The Congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
• Thursday night Potluck Supper. Prayer and medication to follow.
• A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.
• At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.
• Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use the large double door at the side entrance.
• Mrs. Johnson will be entering the hospital this week for testes.
• Please join us as we show our support for Amy and Alan who are preparing for the girth of their first child.
• The Lutheran Men's group will meet at 6 PM. Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, bread and dessert will be served for a nominal feel.
• The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours."
• Our next song is "Angels We Have Heard Get High."
• Don't let worry kill you, let the church help.
• For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
• This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.

Trustworthiness

Peter Drucker, one of the best known thinkers and writers of our day had this to say about leadership:

"You know, I was the first one to talk about leadership 50 years ago, but there is too much talk, too much emphasis on it today and not enough on effectiveness. The only thing you can say about a leader is that a leader is somebody who has followers. The most charismatic leaders of the last century were called Hitler, Stalin, Mao and Mussolini. They were mis-leaders! Charismatic leadership by itself certainly is greatly overstated. Look, one of the most effective American presidents of the last 100 years was Harry Truman. He didn't have an ounce of charisma. Truman was as bland as a dead mackerel. Everybody who worked for him worshiped him because he was absolutely trustworthy. If Truman said no, it was no, and if he said yes, it was yes. And he didn't say no to one person and yes to the next one on the same issue. The other effective president of the last 100 years was Ronald Reagan. His great strength was not charisma, as is commonly thought, but that he knew exactly what he could do and what he could not do."

To read the rest of what he had to say, go here - I highly recommend reading this!

Winning the Battle but Losing the War

Have you ever found yourself fighting real hard to win an argument, then after winning it you feel like you made a mistake. You realized that it really wasn't that important to win that argument...your relationship with the other person is more important.

The same is true when dealing with customers. In a recent survey, 98% of all dissatisfied customers said they were not dissatisfied because of a quality problem with the product or service purchased. In 98% of the cases their dissatisfaction was related to their perception of how they were treated by the people they dealt with.

One more time... note that they said their perception of how they were treated not how they were treated. This is very significant. It means that in some, maybe many of those cases, the employees involved actually treated the customers fairly, courteously and tried to do the best they could. However, what they did is not the issue. It's how the customer perceived what they did that counts.

Customer service diplomacy has to do with controlling the customer's perception. In other words, being right is not as important as winning in the relationship with the customer. This tells us that the #1 reason why businesses lose customers is their perception that they were treated discourteously or unfairly by the company's people with whom they interacted.

Disrespect

Ray Lewis, who is the fiery linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens is upset with his coach because of the plays he called at a critical part of their game last weekend. This is what he said in the Baltimore Sun:

"We knew he (Willis McGahee) should have touched the ball when you have a fourth-and-one," Lewis said. "Old-school football is old-school football. If there is a yard I need to get, there is a running back, a fullback and an offense that is meant to get that.

"You can't make oranges be peaches. It doesn't change. It will never change. That's what Billick has to ask himself, why we keep putting ourselves in those situations. In the Cincinnati game, that cost us with those same decisions."

I don't know about you but this bothers me. I think this shows total disrespect for his coach, Brian Billick. It's OK to be upset, but he should have gone directly to his coach and talked with him about this rather than airing his complaints in the national media.

By the way, this isn't only for pro football players. We sometimes do the same thing where we work.

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over." Matthew 18:15

Enjoying The Journey

I have been one who has had a tendency to be very goal oriented in an unhealthy way. I would say, "As soon as this happens then I will be happy." Well, of course, even when that did happen, I would say, "OK, that happened, now as soon as this other thing happens, I will be happy."

As you can see, this is never ending...and pretty unhealthy.

God has really been working on me in this area and I have found myself enjoying the journey more and more. A small way that has been evident to me has been through some time I have spent in my car this week.

In NW Ohio and SE Michigan, I had read that because of the amount of rain we received and when we received it, the colors on the trees this fall would be incredible. Well, the colors are amazing. I have found myself just mesmerized by the trees as I have been driving. I find myself thanking God for the show He is giving me.

Enjoying the journey... Pretty cool stuff...for me at least.

Donuts With Dad

This morning, I attended "Donuts with Dad" with my son Robbie at his school. These are always fun events where I get to see many other dads I have not seen in a while. It is also a nice excuse to indulge in a donut or two. But it is especially fun because I get to spend that time with my son.

This morning was a little extra special for me and I can't say for sure why this is. Maybe it is because on our way out the door, my wife Connie reminded me that this would be my last Donuts with Dad since Robbie will be in junior high next year. Maybe it is because the donuts were extra fresh and very tasty. But I think it is because I really enjoy being with my son and our bond is growing deeper, especially over this last year.

On my way into the office this morning I was thinking about how these times, times we spend with loved ones are so special. We don't get any rewards from our boss for this. We don't receive financial bonuses. But we are doing something much greater--we are building up those who are in our care--and that is the greatest work we can do.

Not my Plans

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. James 4:13-16

I had great plans for this morning. I was going to get up early, work out, spend some time with God and get to work early. I had a lot to catch up on at work so I was excited to get my day going.

On my way to my basement, I heard a loud sucking noise coming from the area where our sump pump is. The crock was dry and the pump was running so I obviously had a problem. I unplugged it and did my workout and God time and returned to plug it in--hoping for a miracle and that it all of a sudden would be working again.

That was not the case so I trudged off to Home Depot to see if they would replace it since I had only purchased it 15 months earlier. I paid extra for this particular sump pump because it said "Lifetime Warranty" on the outside of the box. However, upon closer examination of the owner’s manual I noticed it said 12 month warranty which did not make me happy.

At 7:00 AM I arrived at Home Depot and explained my situation and as told that I can go get a new sump pump. Now that is customer service!

I got home and replaced it with not too much difficulty. But, my plans to get off to an early start were shattered. Once again, I think God is showing me that although I would like to be, I am not in control!

Our Owner's Manual

My wife and I are part of an awesome home group through our church that meets every other Sunday evening. In our time together last night, we talked about what the Bible means to us. One person described it as our owners manual and I think that is a great description.

As Christians, the words in the Bible are God's Word spoken directly to us. The solutions to all of life's situations and problems are contained therein, including issues we may have at work.

I just read this morning some interesting survey results from George Barna about what percentage of people believe the stories in the Bible to be literally true. The results might surprise you and may even encourage you. Go here to read more.

Excellence

Does this describe you?

We are commanded to be a light to the world...and that includes at work. By bringing excellence, or at least the absolute best we can do, into everything we do, that will help our light to shine. That will set us apart and maybe even prompt someone to ask, "There's something different about you, what is it?"

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Our Power

There is a story told of a woman who went to a jeweler to have her watch fixed. The jeweler disappeared to the back and soon returned with it running perfectly. Surprised, the woman asked how he could fix it so soon. He told her it only needed a new battery. "Battery? Battery? Nobody said anything about a battery. I've been winding it every morning!"

I received this story from Dr. David Jeremiah in an email devotional. While it seems silly, this is they way many of us live our lives. We take things into our own hands without realizing the power we have through the Holy Spirit. I know I am guilty of this very often.

With God's help, I am committed to listening and being open to the guiding of the Holy Spirit in my daily activities. So will you join me?

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you . . .Acts 1:8a

Someday I'll

I love reading stuff from Zig Ziglar. He always seems to make some great points in ways that even I can understand. Here is another one...

One time we were keeping Timmy, a young cat with a long, fluffy tail for our granddaughter, Sunshine. Somehow he went missing and we spent a considerable amount of time and energy looking for that cat before he was found. That's typical. Most people pull out all stops to recover a pet or a treasured relationship. We would "do anything" to change some things or to have them back.

Question: Doesn't it make sense to pay more attention to friends, relatives, and families whom you love? Are you really too busy to make the phone call, drop a note in the mail, get together for a meal, go for a quiet drive or a long walk, and invest a little time to show that love? Question: Why don't you just make the time?

I don't have a definitive answer, but I believe that in most cases it's more a question of procrastination than of deliberate neglect. We work at a frantic pace and come home to relax. Before we realize it, we've spent several hours relaxing in front of a television set that presents us with programs that make us no happier, healthier, nor give us greater peace of mind.

Don't misunderstand; I believe some TV can be good and can offer company and comfort to shut-ins. But those things are not as important as spending time with those we love and cherish. Most of us plan to do exactly that "someday." But "someday I'll" is a seductive mistress. Deep down we know that our actions this year will parallel our actions of last year and catch us falling back on the old saw of, "I'll call you later," or, "Why don't we get together for lunch?" etc.

Solution: Do it now. We have no idea what's going to happen tomorrow or even an hour from now in our own lives or in the lives of those we love. However, we do know that if we take action now to reinforce or mend some of our relationships, we'll look back with gratitude and say to ourselves, "You know, I'm really glad I took the time."

Message! Spend time with those you love. One of these days you will say either, "I wish I had," or "I'm glad I did."

Attitude

I recently read something by Chuck Swindoll which is probably not new to anyone, but I believe it to be so true and I thought I would share it:

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, gifted ability, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace from that day. We cannot change our past, we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing that we can do is play on the one string that we have, and this string is attitude. I am convinced that life is ten percent what happens to me and ninety percent how I react to it. And so it is with you…WE ARE IN CHARGE OF OUR ATTITUDES.

Leading When Things Aren't Going Your Way

In Bo’s Lasting Lessons, authors Bo Schembechler and John Bacon relate a story from Bo’s early days coaching. He learned a lesson about leading when the heat is on from his boss from his boss and mentor Ara Parseghian that he carried with him the rest of his life. Here's that excerpt:

The following season, 1956, I left Doyt [Perry] and Bowling Green—with his blessings—to become an assistant for Ara Parseghian at Northwestern University.

Ara was not a big ego guy, he was great with players, he was a wonderful motivator, and he understood the game so well he could come up with things no one else had thought of. He was probably the most imaginative coach I’d ever seen, always adapting his plays to his players instead of the other way around like most coaches do. Heck, we used to call his practice field “The Laboratory,” because that’s where he’d try every trick in the book on Mondays, testing this and experimenting with that, just to see what might work that Saturday.

Before Ara arrived, Northwestern hadn’t had a winning season in five years, but in his first year Northwestern went 4-4-1, and everyone was encouraged. But in Ara’s second season, 1957, everything went to hell. We lost nine games—every single game we played! For a coach, that’s just about the most difficult situation you have to face.

We could keep our opponents down to one or two touchdowns, but we couldn’t score for our lives. And I was working with the offense!

Losing creates all kinds of other problems too—poor morale, nagging injuries, lackluster effort. The players were spending more time in the PR office than in the weight room. It was just a mess. I never experienced anything like that in all my years of coaching—and thank God for that.

I learned an awful lot from Ara in my first year at Northwestern, but I learned a heckuva lot more from him that second season, when he lost ‘em all. And what I learned was how a real leader leads when things aren’t going his way.

Ara treated the staff as though we were winning every game. He never gave the slightest inclination that we were the problem. He not once blamed any assistant or any player fro any loss we suffered that year. NOT ONCE.

“Stick with it, guys, and we’ll get through this,” he’d tell us. “We’re going to be okay.” We all kept busting our butts for Ara, working past midnight, doing everything we could to get that guy a victory.

I’m not saying there wasn’t some bitching among the players. When you’re losing every game, every player thinks he deserves more playing time. But I promise you this: There was a whole lot less bitching on that team than I’ve heard on teams that won half their games—and there was absolutely no, but no, bickering among the coaches.

To read the rest including how Ara led with integrity, go here.

Sabbath

Last night I had the privilege of dropping my brother-in-law off as his sponsor for the Walk to Emmaus (based on Luke 24:13-35). This is an incredible 72 hour experience of rest, fellowship and seeing and experiencing God's love like never before.

As I drove the one and a half hours home last night, I was aware of how tired I am. As I type this I am also reminded of this as I have just returned from my weekly men's group meeting that meets at 6 AM every Friday.

I believe God is teaching me that I don't need to get everything done. I don't need to solve all the problems of the world. He is also teaching me I need Sabbath--a time of rest and rejuvenation. After all, this Sabbath thing is not just a suggestion from God, it is a commandment.

Loyalty vs. Competence

Loyalty is a very good quality. However, when it is placed above competence, that can be a very bad thing for an organization. That is a sure way to kill morale.

Have you ever worked for someone who valued "the good ol' boys (or girls)" over those who were actually doing what they were supposed to be doing? Have you ever done this yourself?

Humility

...Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought,but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Romans 12:3b

Most mornings for the past 30-40 days, I have been reading Romans 12 and then meditating on a verse that stands out to me that morning. Some days, nothing really jumps out but then other mornings I feel like God is putting flashing neon lights around something He wants me to learn.

This morning was one of those mornings.

The verse above jumped off the page at me this morning. I know God was trying to get my attention and show me I needed to get off my high horse--my feeling like I am so important. You see, I have realized that I like to impress people. When I realize I have done something with the sole purpose of trying to impress others, I now feel sick to my stomach.

As a result, I think I am getting better...but I think God is telling me I still need to work on this...especially in my marriage!

How does this relate to you?

Our Work - God's Work

I received this in a devotional sent to me from my church today:

We were not saved so that we could then go out and prove ourselves worthy. Instead, we were saved and given the gift of worthiness by grace so that we would be freed to fulfill the workmanship that God intended all along. Our work has nothing to prove. We work under grace. Our work is good not because of what it does, but because of who designed it. My competencies are God's workmanship in me. He wants me to use them. He expects me to "walk in them." Doing that is a "good" even if it does not fit into our warped legalistic preconceptions of spiritual significance. The last thing He had in mind giving them to me was to put me under a guilt trip. Grace, not legalism, should define our work.

So often I hear people say how great it would be to be in full-time ministry. Well guess what? We all ARE in full time ministry. What we do everyday, day in and day out has eternal ramifications. There are so many who do not know Christ that you interact with everyday. You may have been placed in their path to show them the love of Christ so that they may come to know Him.

Fear of Embarrassment

I was watching ESPN this morning while eating breakfast and they were talking about the New York Yankees and their win over the Cleveland Indians yesterday to make the series 2-1 in favor of the Indians. The commentators were interviewing a sportswriter from New York and he said that the "word" was that if the Yankees lose this series, George Steinbrenner (the Yankees owner) would fire the Yankees manager, Joe Torre.

He went on to say that George does not like being embarrassed and that someone would pay for that embarrassment--namely Joe Torre.

My initial reaction was to be appalled at George Steinbrenner. How he can he hate to be embarrassed so much that he would fire someone over it?

Then God reminded of all the times in my life where I have done something out of fear of embarrassment rather than doing what was right.